15N Nuclear Magnetic-Resonance Spectra of ortho-Substituted Phenylacetanilides: The Origin of γ-syn Effects

The 15N chemical shifts of X α and Y α, i.e., the nuclei through which the side chains, X and Y, respectively, of o-substituted phenylacetanilides (2a) are bonded to the aromatic ring were determined. There was observed a uniform upfield shift (γsyn effect). In order to explore the origin of the γ effect, other o-disubstitutes benzenes (2b-d) were also examined. The values of D, defined as the difference between γ α substituent chemical shifts of the ortho (2) and para (3) series of compounds, and considered as a measure of the γ-syn effect, were correlated with various electronic and steric substituent parameters. Correlations with electronegativity and van der Waals terms were successful. Examination of the correlations indicated that the γ-syn effect is mostly governed by electronegativity. The classic steric compression theory does not seem very convincing as a means of explaining the shielding γ-syn effect observed in the present study.